With Dune: Part Two premiering on March 1, Warner Bros. Pictures has released a new video that gives fans a bare-minimum recap for 2021’s Dune to catch them up on the basics: we're talking less than a minute to cover a movie that clocks in at two hours and 35 minutes.
The video, which was released on YouTube through the official Warner Bros. Pictures channel, is actually a minute and 26 seconds long but it is bookended by clips for Dune: Part Two. The actual Dune recap is about 40 seconds, where they identify that the Atreides family are the good guys, the Harkonnens are the bad guys, and they are fighting over control of the planet where spice, the galaxy's most precious resource, comes from. It also mentions that the planet has a group of native people that are fierce fighters and can be spotted by their blue eyes and that Zendaya's Chani is one of them, set to have a bigger role in Dune: Part Two.
While we can't argue that pretty much covers the first movie in the broadest of brush strokes, it certainly leaves some key details out that moviegoers may want to know about before they head to see Dune: Part Two (mild SPOILERS ahead for Dune).
The recap offers no mention of things like the Bene Gesserit, a powerful religious group that Paul's (Timothee Chalamet) mother (Rebecca Ferguson) was trained in, whose teachings she is passing on to Paul as part of a potential prophecy. It doesn't mention what happens to Paul's father the Duke (Oscar Isaac) or many members of their military, including the likes of Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) and Duncan Idaho (Jason Mamoa). They also omit that the galaxy is run by an emperor (played by Christopher Walken in the sequel), whose intentionally maneuvered the Atreides to take over Arrakis (the planet with the spice in case you don't know/forgot) and stir things up with the Harkonnens.
Even that only covers the key bits of details for the first Dune. If you want a full, in-depth recap, the best way to do that is to watch Dune. The good news is that you have plenty of options to do that right now.
Dune is available on two major streaming platforms, Netflix (in both the US and UK) and Max (US only), so any subscribers to either platform can watch Dune; heads up though, Dune is leaving Netflix on February 29, the day before Dune: Part Two releases in movie theaters. If you don't subscribe to either Netflix or Max, Dune is available to rent on digital on-demand platforms.
Be sure you're going with the Dune movie from 2021, not the 1984 Dune. That is David Lynch's version, which has gained a cult following but isn't applicable if you're looking to catch up with things ahead of Dune: Part Two.
Dune: Part Two releases exclusively in movie theaters on March 1 worldwide. It stars Chalamet, Zendaya, Ferguson, Brolin, Walken, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Lea Seydoux and Charlotte Rampling. Denis Villeneuve directs.
Check out the full Dune recap from Warner Bros. right here:
